ferocity

fe·roc·i·ty | \ fə-ˈrä-sə-tē

How to pronounce ferocity (audio)

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Definition of ferocity

: the quality or state of being ferocious the ferocity of the lion's attack

Examples of ferocity in a Sentence

the ferocity of the lion's attack We were stunned by the ferocity of the storm.

Recent Examples on the Web Long before Mark Zuckerberg or Jack Dorsey, Homer grasped that an intimate, direct channel of communication can stir folks to action with more ferocity than any unvarnished public appeal. — Aziz Huq, Washington Post, "Political lies aren’t new, but the methods of spreading them are," 25 June 2020 Strong writes of their friendship in exacting detail, illustrating the ferocity with which women can care for one another. — Annabel Gutterman, Time, "A Mother Examines the Costs of Her Desires in Want," 25 June 2020 The ferocity of what awaits them has been foretold by the last twelve years of American politics. — Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, "This Is How Trump Plans to Beat Biden," 21 June 2020 Sandy’s ferocity and size caused severe weather well inland, including gales in Michigan that caused large power outages in Detroit. — John Shea, SFChronicle.com, "Escape from Detroit: A Giants sweep, a superstorm and Willie Mays at 65 mph," 15 June 2020 That year, dozens of violent racial clashes played out with ferocity in at least 25 places including small towns such as Elaine, Arkansas, and Bisbee, Arizona, and in big cities, including Omaha, Nebraska, Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. — National Geographic, "2020 is not 1968: To understand today’s protests, you must look further back," 11 June 2020 The Capitol Hill press corps worships anyone who wields legislative power with the same ferocity as Lyndon Johnson—even if, in McConnell’s case, the master strategist is proudly devoid of principle. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, "Mitch McConnell Is No Genius," 10 June 2020 The sheriff described the ferocity of the battle between Carrillo and law enforcement officers on Saturday night. — CBS News, "Dramatic details emerge in capture of Air Force sergeant accused of killing Santa Cruz sheriff's deputy," 8 June 2020 Unlike the case with temperature, the team could not find a discernable trend in the extreme dryness that contributed to the ferocity and size of the fires. — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, "Yes, Climate Change Did Influence Australia’s Unprecedented Bushfires," 4 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ferocity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

29 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ferocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferocity. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

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